Device for controlling the movements of the armatures of electro-magnets



(No Model.) 2 Sheet-$heet 1.

0. L. CLARKE.

DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE MOVEMENTS OF THE ARMATURES 0P ELEGTRO MAGNETS.

No. 343,008. Patented June. 1, 1886.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. G. L. CLARKE.

DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE MOVEMENTS OF THE ARMATURES 0P ELEGTRO MAGNETS. No. 343,008,

Patented June 1, 1886.

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337 L" M E (In M up W MQ K UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES L. CLARKE, OF ORANGE, NEXV JERSEY.

DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE MOVEMENTS OF THE ARMATURES OF ELECTRO-MAGNETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 343,008, dated June 1, 1886.

Application filed February 20, 1886. Serial No. 192,612. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES L. CLARKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Controlling the Movements of the Armatu res of Electro-Magnets, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to the class of devices employed for withdrawing armatu res from the poles of their electromagnets, and for limiting the movements of the same.

It is usual to employ a retractile spring eX- erting a tension in opposition to the magnet for withdrawing the armature-lever when the eleetro-magnet is demagnetized. This necessitates the employment of limiting-stops for determining the excursion of the armature or armaturelever. In certain classes of electrical apparatussnch, for instance, as telegraphic sounders-the stroke of the lever against these stops serves a useful purpose, while in other classes of apparatus it is desirable that the movements should be noiseless-as, for instance, in instruments employed for controlling electric circuits and for operating various electro-mechanical devices.

The object of the invention is to provide means for limiting the excursion of the arma tures and armature-levers in any class of electric apparatus, adjusting the retractile force exerted upon the same, and at the same time rendering their movements noiseless.

The invention consists, primarily, in applying to the armature or armature-lever of an electro-magnet a device for limiting its movement, capable of being extended a pre determined distance, and itself arresting the further movement of the same. This limiting device may be eithera togglejoint, a flexible wire or cord, a linked chain, or other equivalent device. The limit of motion is obtained when thisdevice is straightened. The retractile force may be secured either by ap-' plying a weight or spring to the toggle or other limiting device and tending to bend the same, or to the armature itself, or the tendency to bend may be inherent in the de vice itself. The movement of the lover away from the electro-magnot maybe determined or controlled by a similar device.

There are numerous applications of this invention and various methods of executing it. A sufficient number to clearly set it forth will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of an electro-magnet, its armature and armature-lever, provided with a limiting device illustrating the fundamental feature of the invention. Fig. 2 illustrates the method of limiting the motion in both directions. Fig. 3 illustrates an application of a retractile sprin Fig. 4 illustrates the application of the invention to an apparatus for controlling circuits and for driving other apparatus. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 illustrate various modifications.

Referring to the figures, E represents an electro-magnet, and 6 its armature. A lever, A, pivoted at a point, a, carries the armature. A toggle-joint, 13, consisting of two links, I) and 7), serves to limit the movement of the lever toward the magnet. The link I) is pivoted at one end to the lever A at a point, a The remaining end of the link ispivoted to the link If. The remaining end of the link I) is pivoted to a post or other suitable support, 0, at a point, e. A suitable stop, D, which may be cushioned, is provided in this inst tnce for limiting the movement of the lever away from the eleetro-magnet.

The weight of the links of the togglejoint and its consequent tendency to bend downward into the position shown in Fig. 1 may in some instances be relied upon to withdraw the lever from the magnet; or a weight, F, may be suspended from one or other of the links or from thejoint.

Instead of a stop, D, for limiting the movement of the lever away from the magnets, a second toggle-joint, 13 similar to the joint B, may be employed, as shown in Fig. 2. The latter is straightened when the lever moves away from the magnet and bent when it moves toward the magnet. In thisinstance a weight, F is shown as applied to the toggle-joint 13', but it is lighter than the weight F, so that the latter serves to withdraw the armature when the electro-magnet is not vitalized.

A convenient form of construction is shown in Fig. 2, which consists in utilizing the weight as the connecting-link for the two links, I) and h The links are provided with suitable hooks a o zmuuu at their ends, and the weights are constructed with holesf, for receiving the same. In like in nner the remaining ends of the links respectively hook into the supports and O and into the armature-lever. The supports 0 and O are preferably adjustable in suitable posts, G and G, and any of the well-known methods of adjustment may be applied to them.

In Fig. 3 the general form shown in Fig. 2 is adopted, with the exception that the weights are dispensed with anda retractile spring, H, is employed instead. This spring is here shown as applied to the armature-lever, and I5 as bending to withdraw it from the electromagnets. It is equally applicable to the form shown in Fig. 1. The spring has certain advantages in instances where it is desirable to obtain a quick movement.

In Fig. 4 there is shown, in addition to the spring employed in the last instance, two additional springs, H and H, which are respectively applied to the toggle-joints B and B. The weight of the links of the toggle- 5 joint and thetconsequent tendency for it to bend downward into the position shown in Fig. 1 may in some instances be relied upon to withdraw the lever from the magnet; or a weight may be suspended from one or the other of the links or from the joint. The springs H and H serve in lieu of the weights shown in Fig. 2 to bend the joints, and they may, it is evident, be employed either with or without the springH applied to the armaturelever. There is shown also in Fig.4 an attachment to the armature-lever for controlling the connections of the electric circuits, consisting of two contact-points, k and k", carried by the lever, and two contact springs or arms, 4 K and K, against which the points are respectively designed to impinge. When the lever is away from the magnet, the point In is against the spring or arm K, and presses it away from its resting-stop m. At the same time the point 70 is away from the spring K which then rests against its stop m". When the lever is toward its magnet, the point It is in contact with its spring K", and the point is separated from its spring K. The lever A is 5 designed to be connected with one pole of a battery, and the springs or arms K and K with conductors respectively leading to any desired forms of electrical apparatus and connected back to the other pole of the battery.

It is evident that various other methods of controlling circuit-connections maybe adopted; but these need not here be described in detail.

There is also shown in Fig. 4 a pawl, n, pivoted to the lever A and applied to a toothed wheel, N. It is designed that the to-and-fro movements of the armature -lever shall advance the wheel N step by step in the usual manner. It is evident that this operation will 5 be entirely noiseless, except for the movement of the pawl upon the teeth of the wheel, and practically this will be of no importance.

'gle-joint B", a second spring, Bflsi'milar to the Other forms of pawl-and-ratchet movements are equally applicable.

In Fig. 5 there is shown, instead of a toggle-joint, a tempered spring, B, which is capable of being drawn out of a straight line by a spring or weight, F Thebending ofthe spring B serves, in the same manner as the bending of theltoggle-joint B, to withdraw the armature. A toggle-joint, B, is shown in this instance as applied to the spring B for limiting the backward movement of the lever A. This is accomplished by connecting one end of the link I) to the spring 13, and the free end of the link I) with a support, Cfiwhich is preferably adjustable. The toggle-j ointis applied upon the oppositeside from the spring F and is bent when the spring B is straightened,and vice versa. The toggle joint B may be used in connection with the toggle-joint B, (shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4,) for limiting the backward movement of the armature.

In Fig. 6 there is shown, in place of thetogo spring B for limiting the movement of the armature-lever away from the electro-magnet. This organization is similar-in its operation to that described with referenceto Fig. 2. In this instance a weight, F, is shown as applied to the spring B The retraotile force exertedby this weight is made adjustable by renderlng its position upon the spring adjustable. Thus by moving it away from the center of the spring toward either end its effect will be roc lessened. This method of adjustment is also applicable to the toggle'joints. Instead of employing a spring, F ,-or a weight for bending the spring B the latter may be constructed with an inherent tendency to bend, and straightened by the pull of the electro-magnet. Instead of tempered-steel springs B and B, 7 wire, flat-rolled metal, catgut, or cord which will not stretch may be employed.

In Fig. 7 a short piece of linked chain is shown. This carries a weight, F, and operates in essentially the same manner as described with reference to the other forms.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of an electro-magnet, its armature, a support, and a limiting device consisting of a laterallyflexible mechanical connection between said support and said armature, receiving a lateral flexure when the armature is in one position and approaching 4 a straight line as the armature is moved into the opposite position.

2. The combination, substantially as here- 1 inbefore set forth, of an electro-magnet, its ar- I25 mature,astationary support, and a mechanical connection between said support and said armature t'or limiting the movement of the latter, said connection having a lateral but not a longitudinal flexibility.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbcfore set forth, of an electro-magnet, its armature, two fixed supports upon opposite sides of said armature, two mechanical conneetions respectively connecting said supports with said armature, each having a lateral but not a longitudinal flexibility, one of which connections is bent when the other is straightened, and vice versa.

4. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of an electro-magnet, its armature and armature-lever, means for limiting the movement of said armature in one direction, consisting of alaterally but not longitudinally flexible device, and means, substantially such as described, for limiting the lateral flexure of said device.

5. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of an electromagnet, its armature, a rigid support, and a toggle-joint connecting said armature or its lever with said support.

6. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of an electro-magnet, its armature, a rigid support, a toggle-joint con necting said armature with said support, and means, substantially such as described, for bending said joint.

7. The combination, substantially as hereinbef'ore set forth, of an electro-magnet, its armature and armature-lever, a rigid support, a toggle-joint connecting said lever with said support, and means for adjusting the distance between the support and lever.

S. The combination, substantially as here inbefore set forth, of an electro-magnet, its armature and armature-lever, a stationary support, a laterally-flexible limiting device connecting said support with said lever, and a tog- 35 gle-joint applied to said device for limiting the flexure of the same.

9. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of an electro-magnet, its armature and armaturelever, a rigid support, a 40 mechanical connection between said support and lever of constant length, bnthaving a lateral flexibility, and a circuit-controlling device controlled by said lever.

10. The combination, substantially as here 45 inbefore set forth, of an electromagnet, its armature and armature-lever, a rigid support, a mechanical connection between said support and lever of constant length, but having a lateral flexibility, and adjustable devices tending 50 to produce such lateral flexurc.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 19th day of February,

Ar. D. 1886.

CHARLES L. CLARKE.

Witnesses:

DANL. XV. EDGEOOMB, CHARLES A. TERRY. 

